If There's a Golden Halo
by Third Person Point of View
Summary: If there's a golden halo, there's a blond haired hero! OoT fic. LxM pairing. Takes place mostly DURING the game with some changes. This story is kind of the same as "If There's Smoke" only from Malon's point of view. Please read and review!
1. A Red Harring Makes for Good Gossip

She sighed, tired in so many different ways. With a gentle touch, she nudged the softly snoring man sitting on the delivery cart beside her. He awoke with a snort and a start. He stared down at the girl and gave a sleepy smile. She grinned back and gave a little tug to the reins, spurring the horses on.

"'S wrong, kiddo?" he asked her, blinking sleepily.

She shook her head, her thick locks of fiery red hair shimmying over her shoulders. Her father nodded complacently and once again slumped in her seat. The morning sun was pouring over the two of them. The small, worn cart carrying the two crates of milk rumbled along the little dirt pathway to the castle. The girl led the cart over the drawbridge to Castle Town. To the left was the soldier that guarded the entranceway. He nodded a small hello at her and she smiled kindly and gave a tiny wave. Her father beside her had fallen asleep again and she nudged him.

"Huh? Oh," he murmured and saluted the guard.

As they merged into the rest of the crowd, the going got tougher. The pace slowed, the horses became much more nervous. She waited out the crowd, patiently biding her time, leading her horses onward when she got the chance. Finally, she stopped the cart. She looked over at her father. She tapped his shoulder.

"Dad," she said, shaking him. "I need to get off now. They won't let me into the castle."

There was a grumble as the dark haired farmer awoke. He looked at his daughter, slowly comprehending.

"Oh, oh, right," he murmured. "You're a good kid. I'll be back soon."

"You promised you'd be quick this time, remember?"

"Yes, of course. I promise." She gave him a look he knew. "I said, I promised, kiddo," he laughed, ruffling her hair as she hopped down from the delivery cart. "I'll be back soon."

She nodded and looked up at him as he took the reins. She watched her father and the horses as they slowly clopped away down the little road that led to Hyrule Castle. She sighed once more, then turned to the cart set up beside the entrance to the back alley. The big, burly attendant didn't bother to look up from his task. The girl slid silently over to the front of the cart and stared up at him.

"What can I get you?" he asked just before he finally looked at her. He grinned. "Hey, Malon! How are you, my girl?"

The redhead smiled. "I'm fine. Everything's been going pretty good."

"Where's Talon? Weekly delivery to Hyrule Castle?" he asked. Malon nodded and smiled again. "Anyway, I give you the usual?"

Another enthusiastic nod and she waited as she took the warm meat patty from the vendor. He took her money, their special agreed price remaining true. Malon took her patty to the side of the well that was facing Hyrule Castle and sat on the edge of it. She ignored the eyes upon her back and the whispers that were starting. She had learned long ago that this was normal. She'd been coming to Castle Town for a long time and she knew how things worked.

Already, the gossip was beginning.


	2. Fairies and Flame

Malon fidgeted in her spot. She knew this point in the wait well. It was the time when she started getting anxious, started to get annoyed and angry. Little scenes ran rampant through her mind. There were small moving pictures of what it was she would say to her father. In some she would scream, in others she would say nothing. She thought of his parting words to her and snorted.

"'I'll be quick, I promise,'" she muttered to herself. "Yeah, right."

She looked to her left. Hanging over her shoulder was the tempting Happy Mask Shop. She glanced to her right and there, just over the other shoulder was the Shooting Range. She sighed and fidgeted again. She played with more and more options of what exactly to do to her father when he finally, and if he ever finally, returned. The most entertaining option at the moment was stomping furiously onto the Castle entrance and raising a scene so that her father would _have_ to come out and get her.

But, there was the great possibility that he wouldn't. There was the chance, the big chance, that Talon wouldn't even hear of the scandal and go on his way. There was a chance that her father, in all his constant stupor, would pass by her as she was being carted away for disturbing the peace and go home, forgetting that he'd come with his daughter. Malon sighed yet again and ran a hand through her flaming locks.

The marketplace was crowded as usual. Most of the regulars were already taking their usual spots. The man with the beard was standing idly by the Bizarre, stroking his beard proudly, a habit he had. The way-too-in love couple was just walking into the square from their back alley home, hand in hand, fawning lovingly over each other. The haggling had already begun at both the north and south selling stalls. And then there was the constant stream of other people coming and going from the square.

A flash of green caught her eye and she focused past the crowd. Coming in through the entranceway was a young boy clad in a forest green tunic. He paused at the entrance of the marketplace, looking around and taking in the sights. For a moment he stood, but the ever-rushing crowd did not permit lollygagging and he was jostled into movement again. Even from this distance she could see that he was a mess. He was exhausted, moving as if on automatic rather than by his own will. His steps were labored, forced. There were dark circles under his eyes that told of his evident lack of sleep. His clothes hung from him as if they were just as tired as he was.

He was moving slowly from through the bustling town square, his expression changing from one of awe, to one of sight relief, to one of confusion. He meandered past, obviously trying to find something, but finding no one to help guide him to it. His wanderings had brought his closer and he had his back to her. She giggled, more as a form of help than of amusement. The boy turned to her.

He looked her over, took her in and she let him, allowing him time to assess whether he wanted her help or not. She shifted, turning towards him and clasping her hands behind her back. He hesitated slightly, looking around before taking a couple of steps towards her.

Up close she saw what distance had caused her to miss. He was pale, drawn and nervous. His blond hair hung limply over his forehead from under his hat. He had obviously gone through some ordeal or other. He was covered in scratches and bruises. His left arm brandished a recent scar, pink and raised beside the pale skin, holding proof of some fight or scuffle. But the worst 

were his eyes… they were an electric, hypnotic blue that told of unknown, unwanted, inconceivable horrors. They were overwhelmingly bright and beautiful and carried the load of his emotion in them, drowning her in his unspoken hell. Making up her mind, she gave a wide, deliberately comforting smile, drawing him in, and giggled again.

"Well, hello," she said with a comforting tone. "You're new around here, aren't you?"

He nodded and licked his lips, looking around at the chaos again.

She laughed. "Yeah, you look it. Can I ask what's up with that outfit? It's very… different."

He looked down at himself and shrugged. He cleared his throat. "Everyone wears this back home." His voice was raspy, as if it wasn't used often.

"Back home? Where is that?" she asked, bluntly but not unkindly.

"Kokiri Forest."

"Kokiri Forest? That's all the way to the east, isn't it?"

He nodded. Just then there was a bright flash, and a sparkle. A pinpoint of flittering light that hovered near his ear. She heard the faintest whispers of a light, airy voice speaking to him. But she was utterly entranced by the sight of the beautiful little winged woman.

"Oh, a fairy! Wow. She's so pretty," she said in an awe-filled whisper.

He looked at the tiny fairy fondly. She was smiling and, Malon could've sworn, blushing, but she wasn't sure. It was hard to tell with the luminous shine coming from her. The boy grinned at his floating friend.

"This is Navi," he explained.

She smiled. "So you're a fairy boy from Kokiri Forest. The getup makes a little more sense now. I'm Malon. My dad is the owner of Lon Lon Ranch. Maybe you've seen it?" He thought for a moment, then shrugged politely. "It's right in the middle of Hyrule field really. It's a half a day's walk from here. What's your name?"

He swallowed before answering, something that looked incredibly like relief flashing over his face and shining brightly through the piercing, mesmerizing eyes.

"I'm Link."

"Link. That's a nice name," Malon said, nodding as if she approved. "So what are you doing here?"

Link glanced quickly at Navi, his fairy. She turned slightly from Malon, but the redhead still saw her make a face at him. It was a face of caution, one that screamed "keep your mouth shut." And she saw, too, that he knew exactly that this is what it meant. He looked back at her and she kept the genuinely interested expression plain on her face.

"I need to speak to the Princess," he said at last.

Navi slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned.

"Princess Zelda?" she asked. "Well, good luck getting into the palace. I heard they just raised security because some dope tried to waltz into the castle. There's a rumor going around that there's a drain or a pipe that leads you into the castle gardens. But they say it's very small. You know, too small for an _adult_."

Navi and Link exchanged another look and Malon hid a grin of triumph. Maybe that would change the little fairy's mind. She pretended not to know that she'd just leaked a great tip out to them and sighed.

"Yeah, well, anyway, good luck. I'm waiting for my dad. He was _supposed_ to be making a delivery of Lon Lon milk to the palace, but he's been gone for an awfully long time. My dad's pretty irresponsible. Most of the time, I end up taking care of him like if _I_ was the grown up, 

but…" she shrugged nonchalantly, already used to the feeling. "Anyway, I'm stuck waiting here for him."

"I'm sorry," Link said politely, at a loss for words.

Malon nodded and smiled at him. "You look hungry, fairy boy. Why don't you get something to eat? There's a great food stall over there in that alley."

Link looked in the direction she was pointing. He smiled a blazing, charmingly appreciative smile. "Thanks. Hope you find your father."

"Thanks. Nice meeting you, fairy boy," she called out after him, watching him slip into the crowd and head towards the patty vendor.

She watched for a second as he approached the cart and smiled. She looked back over her shoulder at the castle looming in the background and sighed. At least meeting the forest boy had taken her mind off her problems, at least a little. Malon glanced into the alley where Link had disappeared and saw him sitting against the wall, eating the meat pastries with vigor.

Well, maybe she wouldn't raise hell at the castle, but she'd certainly head off a little way and watch for her dad to return.


	3. Warmth On a Cold, Lonely Night

Malon glanced from around the cliff side at the guard standing beside the closed iron gate. He yawned and scuffed his boots on the floor, trying to stay awake. She pulled back and leaned against the cliff, rolling her head back. What was taking her father _so long?_

But the truth was, there was no way to go after him so she resigned herself to waiting. Subconsciously, she began to hum a tune under her breath. The notes came out sweet and clear, easing her mind. She closed her eyes and swayed a little to the beat. Memories came flooding back to her.

A warm hearth and a cold winter night. She was small, five years old perhaps, and smiling happily at the tray of tarts set in front of her. And in the air was the tune, the pretty melody coming from the pretty woman in the corner of the room. She glided over to Malon, bending to pick her up and sit her on her knee, still humming and she gently brushed the red hair from the girl's face.

Malon's eyes snapped open, the feeling of warmth replaced by the chilly night air, as she heard approaching footsteps. She looked towards the sound, the pathway towards Castle Town, and saw someone approaching. There was a spot of green, a swirling light, a shock of thick, shaggy blond hair. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, but she turned back to look up at the lone tree before her, still humming her little song. There was a nearby crunch of gravel and then the footsteps stopped beside her.

She turned to look, Link looking back at her. "Well, hello, fairy boy."

She saw him shift at the nickname and she smiled to herself. He gave a tiny wave.

"Hi," he said.

"You're going to the palace now, huh?" she asked and he nodded. "Well, be careful, there are guards all over the place. I'd keep my fairy well hidden in the dark. The light might give you away."

Link and Navi looked at each other, finding her words true. Malon gave a little nod.

"Hey, if you're going to the palace anyway, do you mind looking for my dad?" she asked, the idea coming to her suddenly. "He's somewhere in there and if you see him, could you please tell him that I'm here? Waiting for him. Still."

Link gave a sharp little nod. "Sure. No problem."

Malon laughed happily, relieved. "Thanks. You're a life saver." A sudden idea came to her and she pulled her bag forward, reaching carefully inside and pulling out a warmly wrapped egg. "Here, take this. I know it seems a little strange, but it's something I've been taking care of for a while. When it hatches, it'll be a prize cucco. Just a little something for your trouble."

Link slowly took the egg from her hands, confused. He hid it well, then searched around for a place to put the egg. She leaned forward and tapped a snug, medium sized pouch on his bag.

"This one will work well. It'll keep it nice and secure."

Link placed the wrapped up egg inside and clipped the pouch closed. He looked up and met her gaze.

"Thank you," he said politely. "If I find your father, I'll tell him to find you here."

"Ok, thanks again. Hope you get to see the princess," Malon told him with a little smile and a wave.

Link reciprocated the wave, though smaller and more awkward, and started past her, towards the guard gate. She reached out and grabbed his tunic.

"No wait!" Malon cried out, yanking him back. "There's a guard there! You can't go that way."

"Oh," Link said, peering around to see the guard she was talking about. "Then… do you know which way I should go?"

Malon had been thinking for a long time about different ways to sneak into the castle and find, and rip apart, her father. She'd pondered a couple of methods and the one she liked the best is the one she suggested to the blond forest boy.

"Well, this ivy over here looks pretty sturdy," she said, grabbing a handful of the stuff that was stuck to the cliff and yanking hard on it. It didn't budge. "You can try going over the top and heading across the lawn. I think that the delivery door is on the side of the castle. And then there's that drain pipe I heard about."

Link glanced up at the ivy and she watched as he tested it out. Finally, he gripped a firm handful and, with a small grunt, he hefted himself up. The ivy held. Malon watched transfixed as he carefully picked his way up the cliff until he pulled himself over the edge and onto the top. She watched a couple more seconds, waiting to see if he would reappear, but there was nothing.

Malon sighed and turned back, resuming the comforting melody. The tree before her swayed in the cold breeze and she rubbed warmth into her stiff arms. She turned as there was a quiet "psst!" from above her. She looked up and there was Link's face poking out from over the edge. He gave a little wave.

"Thank you," he whispered and then disappeared, causing a smile to spread over Malon's face.

Suddenly, she didn't feel so cold.


	4. Girl and Foal

AUTHOR'S NOTE: HEY GUYS! I'm back. Sorry for the hiatus. I promise to try to update more frequently. I will also update "If There's Smoke." Thanks for all the support and reviews. Please keep them coming!!!!

Malon sighed as she finished setting the freshly folded blankets straight on the little cot in the small guest room at the west of the ranch. It had taken her all of twenty minutes to finish tidying her room, whereas her father's room had taken her an hour and a half. She went next to change the sheets, switch the hay and feed the cows, and sweep the floor in the extra room. Ingo's room, above the stables, was not her responsibility. She thought that this had given this Talon ample time to get the cuccos fed. She stepped out of the room, wiping her hands on her skirts and sighed, looking over at the chicken coop. It was empty.

Empty?

Malon walked curiously towards the place where, half an hour before, there had been yammering, pecking, cooing cuccos. Now it was totally and completely empty. Malon turned towards the house, and began running seeking an explanation. They couldn't have all gotten out. If they had, the ranch would be suffering even harder times. Sure, the Lon Lon eggs didn't sell as well as their milk did, but it was certainly an important part of their income. Plus, they always had a ready supply of food if anything bad ever happened, and it had before. She reached the house and yanked open the door, stopping dead.

So this was her father's idea of feeding the cuccos. The entire flock was clucking and squawking on the bottom floor living space of her house. And her father was slumped against the side of the table, the open bad of fed overflowing next to him, asleep. His "super" cuccos were standing in a pyramid around him, jerking and pecking. Malon took in a deep, calming breath and stepped out of the house and towards the stable.

Well, it certainly was not going to be fun cleaning the cucco mess from the floor later today.

She went into the stable and grabbed an already filled bucket of carrots and apples and headed for the horse corral, by passing Ingo without a word. She was greeting by the sound of snorting and whinnying and she gave a smile. They horses eyed her cautiously, then recognized her and trotted over, taking the handouts of fruit and vegetable gratefully. From behind her, a wet nose nudged and a small, roan foal reached around her and went for a carrot sticking up in the bucket.

"Epona, my lovely girl," she said, petting the horse's nose and feeding her an apple. She sighed. "Epona, what am I to do?"

She patted the horse, idly feeding her as she thought. Sometimes, her father infuriated her. Malon's temper was never her strong suit, but her father pushed her even farther without meaning to. Talon was slow and lazy, he procrastinated, he was forgetful, he usually got around to a job too late and accomplished only half of what had to be done…

And he was still mourning.

Four years after and he was still mourning, still pining, still looking at her as if she was someone else. Someone older and taller. Looking at her as if she was her mother. There were days that she regretted looking like her mother. This was one of them. That morning he had spent breakfast staring at her. No. Not at her. Through her. He spent the morning staring at her mother.

She had felt so empty, so dull. So lifeless.

The truth was, when she had lost her mother, she had lost her father as well.

"Just like you," Malon whispered to the pony.

Epona crunched on the last carrot and snuffed, disappointed at the lack of food. Malon gave the horse a smile and swung the empty bucket in her hand. She decided that now was as good a time as any to start cleaning the floor of the house. Again. She headed out of the corral, head down, bucket swinging in her hand. She looked up towards the house and stopped in her tracks, a smile spreading over her face brightly. Link shifted awkwardly on his feet before her.

"Oh, well, if it isn't the fairy boy from the marketplace the other day," she said with a smile. "Good to see you. And hey, thanks for finding my dad for me. He's always kind of irresponsible." Malon shrugged, then smiled, a twinkling curiosity in her eyes. "So, did you get to talk to the Princess?"

Link hesitated for a moment, then nodded. It was odd, she realized, that she understood his pauses better than she did his words. He wasn't comfortable with words and his hesitations spoke out louder than any sentence could. She got this inexplicably warm feeling around him, almost a sense of comfort and safeness.

"So, what did she say?" she asked, pushing the thoughts away.

There was a twitch under his hat. Navi, no doubt.

"Not much," he answered vaguely. "She kind of sent me on an errand. I need to go to Death Mountain."

"Death Mountain," Malon repeated, impressed. She had seen the looming peaks on her travels to Castle Town and had always wondered about it. "Wow. That's exciting. I wish I could go. What kind of an…" her question petered out as she looked him over, her brow furrowed into a concerned frown. "You're going now?"

Link nodded, shifting on his feet again. He looked even worse than he had back in the market place. His eyes were blinking, long and slow, and his entire body looked about ready to collapse. The boy couldn't have slept more than three hours in the past week.

Malon shook her head. "No you're not." He stared at her, surprised and confused, but she stood firm. "You're dead on your feet. When was the last time that you got some real sleep?"

Link's silence answered her question. He changed the subject. "It is truly important that I complete this errand-"

"Perhaps, but you'll never make it if you don't get some rest. Now come on, you're not going anywhere until you sleep."

Malon set her pail down by the outer stable wall and led him over towards the far west corner of the field. She didn't hear his footsteps, but when she casually glanced back, he was following her, bemusedly. She led him inside the guest room. There was hay strewn over on the floor in a pile and there was a cow mooing softly and chewing her hay contentedly by a mass of crates. But there, wedged comfortably in the corner was the small, newly dressed cot.

"Now, you sleep. When you're rested, you can go off on your royal errand, all right?"

Navi flew out from his cap and faced Link, obviously not liking the recent turn of events.

"Link, we must go-"

"Excuse me," Malon interrupted, just as determined as the insistent little fairy. She had no doubt the fairy meant well, but she obviously didn't understand how overrun the boy was. "I understand that you are his keeper and that you have a certain duty to comply with, but you can't keep pushing him so hard. He'll just end up giving out before he gets anything done. You can leave first thing in the morning. Now are you going to stay here and rest with him or would you like to join me while I finish my chores?"

She could see that Link was shocked. She guessed that no one had ever spoken to Navi in such a tone. There was shock clearly splayed over Navi's ethereal features as well. Then she set her jaw in a grim, defiant line, and gave a sharp nod. She disappeared into one of Link's empty pouches. Malon gave a final look to the now still pack, then gave Link a small smile.

"Sleep well, fairy boy," Malon said, opening the door to exit. "And sweet dreams."


	5. Grown Ups in TenYearOld Bodies

"Wow."

Malon shook her head beside Link. Link nodded, still staring at his tired, worn boots. He expelled a deep, heavy breath. They were sitting on the stable roof, their legs hanging over the edge of the roof. Below them the tranquil ranch was unaware of the duo above. From somewhere underneath them she could make out Ingo's mutterings. The last time she had seen Link had been about three weeks before when she had taught him her mother's song, which they had deemed "Epona's Song." When he had come into the ranch today she instantly noted a bruise on his neck, stretching around to his back and a new scar extending from his wrist to the knuckle of his thumb.

She had asked him about Death Mountain and listened, asking innocent questions as he wound his way around the heart and truth of the tale. She knew he was leaving things out, she knew he was holding things back, but she didn't push him. She had come to understand that there was a reason for everything Link did. The most she could do for him was lend an understanding ear.

Malon looked over at him, her brow twitching. "And you're okay now?"

Link nodded again. "Fine."

"Good. Have you eaten anything? Well, anything other than stale bread?" Malon inquired, disgustedly flicking away a crumb that had been left behind. When she had asked what he'd been eating all this time, he'd produced a rock that couldn't justifiably be called bread. She had tossed it far out into the field where the horses were grazing and not even they had given it a second glance.

Link shrugged, not giving a real answer. Malon hoisted herself up, wiping the debris off her skirt and bent to pull Link up by the arm.

"Come on, fairy boy," she said. "Let's get some real food into you."

Link allowed himself to be towed by the determined girl. They clambered off the roof and she led him into the house. Talon was nowhere to be seen, which meant that he was probably napping in some hidden place around the ranch. Not feeding the horses. Malon plopped Link down at the small wooden table and went to the cupboard. She began assembling things in a pot, setting it over a fire, and letting it boil. Here a potato, a chopped-up onion, some dried herbs she had bottled, a dash of sugar. She turned her attention to the salted meat next.

The whole meal took about half an hour to cook and she kept glancing back to make sure that Link was still sitting in his chair. After about twenty minutes, he had closed his eyes and tipped his head back, falling into a light sleep. Malon finished getting the meal together and set the food on two plates, adding a fresh loaf of bread. She set the plate in front of him with a dull thud and his eyes snapped open suddenly, muscles tensing.

Malon smiled kindly, soothingly at him. "Here you go. Eat up."

She watched as he slowly forced his muscles to relax, then picked up the harsh, heavy cutlery and began sipping his soup. He paused, savoring the first sip, then ate voraciously. He switched over to the meat, pushing the empty bowl away from him. Malon sat, playing with her soup and watching him.

There was something about him that clung to her. Something about this tortured, burdened boy with overly-expressive eyes that sparked something inside her. Hope, perhaps. Maybe it was the fact that they were both forced into an age that wasn't theirs. She… she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was caring for a father as if she was a parent herself. She was too familiar with household chores like cooking and cleaning. She was responsible for the upkeep of their livelihood. He had the weight of something dreadfully heavy on his shoulders. There was something pushing him, driving him. And, whether he knew it or not, he was now suddenly in charge of a certain, previously squelched, part of her heart.

"You act older than you are," she said suddenly, surprising herself.

Link looked up, swallowing a chunk of bread. "Excuse me?"

Malon simply nodded. "You act like you're a grown up. I think it's pretty… I don't know…" she shrugged. "It's pretty amazing."

She felt his eyes on her, but she focused on her soup again.

"Me too," he said and she understood what he meant.

She felt her cheeks flush. She smiled appreciatively. "Did you like lunch?"

Link nodded enthusiastically. "Phenomenal."

Malon laughed. "You always give one word answers. What's the matter, fairy boy? Don't have an expansive vocabulary or something?"

"I can say more than one word."

Malon gave him a look of doubt. "Anyway, if you liked that, you'll love dinner. You are staying for dinner aren't you?" Link opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off before he could get any words out. "Great. You can help me cook. Why don't you just rest up until then?"

She felt his eyes on her back, trying to formulate a response and giving up. She grinned to herself as she went about, cleaning the cooking area. From behind her, she heard Link get up and clear the table.

"You don't have to do that," she said, trying to take the dirty crockery from him.

He pulled away from her reaching hands. "I know, but I want to."

"But you need to-"

"You need to let me help you. Now mind your own business."

Malon glared at him for a moment, but when she saw that he was paying her no mind, she gave up. After a while she resigned her pouting state and the two children stood side by side, washing dishes.

That was the last time she saw him.


End file.
